


we've come so far (i thought i loved you then)

by godgavemelou



Series: larry in tennessee universe [2]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Bottom Louis, Felching, Fluff and Smut, M/M, Mostly fluff though, Rimming, Top Harry, also liam is only in this if you squint a little
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-27
Updated: 2015-07-27
Packaged: 2018-04-11 12:46:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4436057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/godgavemelou/pseuds/godgavemelou
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There are dozens and dozens of flowers scattered all across the bed of his truck, all different colors and types and absolutely beautiful. Standing by the passenger side is Louis, dressed in some of his best clothes and bare feet, a picnic basket settled in his hand. He’s smiling at him like he’s the greatest thing he’s ever seen and Harry just stands on his porch, keys in his hand and his right foot on the bottom step of the stoop.</p><p>“I thought you had to work?”</p><p>“I lied.” Louis laughs a little, his weight shifting from one foot to the other as he watches Harry. “I wanted to surprise you.”</p><p>OR a southern au where it’s harry and louis’ fourth anniversary, and louis has a surprise.</p>
            </blockquote>





	we've come so far (i thought i loved you then)

**Author's Note:**

> hi everyone!
> 
> this is technically a sequel to a fic that i wrote a few months back that you can go read [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3730909) but you can definitely get by without reading the first one. (but don't do that and be lovely, and go read the first part anyways)
> 
> i got the idea from tags on a tumblr post that you can find [here](http://coolbreeeze.tumblr.com/post/124460479353/southern-au-its-their-anniversary-and-louis-has). it just matched my fic so much that i couldn't pass up on writing it.
> 
> this fic is for laura because she listens to me bitch and moan about writing far too often to not have a fic given to her. love you kid <3
> 
> [title is from 'then' by brad paisley]

Louis has done some pretty questionable things in his lifetime, but he’s pretty sure being barefoot while working in the store is his most questionable.

Louis has owned White Star for going on four years now, and it’s been a wild ride. The store is doing better than ever, especially when he can get Harry to come in and work with him on the weekends. Most of the people coming into the store love him, and they’ll spend hours talking and laughing with both of them while they eat. It lightens up the atmosphere and makes people feel at home, and Louis loves giving that feeling to his customers.

One of the perks of owning said store is walking around barefoot, even though he probably shouldn’t be. Especially since he’s making his mom a sandwich and walking around the deli. He wraps up her turkey and cheese sub and leans over the counter, smiling at her as she takes it.

“So today’s the day, huh?” 

“Yeah,” Louis bites his lip and feels his stomach drop. “Hopefully I won’t chicken out.”

Louis’ right pocket suddenly feels heavier, even though he knows it isn’t. A platinum ring is sitting in a tiny velvet box, nudged up against his leg just waiting to be opened. He’s been saving for years to buy this ring; he knew the second he saw it under the glass at the store that it was the perfect one.

Louis has been wrapped around Harry’s finger for longer than he’s owned White Star. When the tall, gangly, perfect, amazing boy stumbled into his town, Louis’ life changed for the better. It’s not always been easy, especially living in the bible belt and both of them so busy all the time. But Louis’ known for a long while that he’d love to spend forever with Harry, would love to find a little house right here in town and start a family with him. He wants everything with him; wants to sit on the porch and drink tea, watch the sun go down, play with their kids in their giant backyard. He’s just nervous to actually ask for all of that.

“You know he’s gonna say yes, sweetie.”

Louis runs a hand through his hair, nerves making him twitchy. Yeah, he’s pretty sure Harry is going to say yes, but that doesn’t mean he will for certain. He’s just spent months trying to figure out what he’s going to say, and how he’s going to do it. It’s bad enough that today is their anniversary too, making the pressure that much worse.

Like he’s been cued, Harry strolls in the door, a bright smile on his face. He walks up to the counter and bends over it, giving him a kiss quickly before saying hi to Louis’ mom. They chat for a minute, just catching up, before she leaves. Once they’re alone, Harry puts on a little private smile. One where his twinkle and he looks so damn beautiful that Louis feels like he shouldn’t look directly at him, like he’s looking at the sun.

“What time is your shift over?” Harry asks, moving so he can lay his arms on the glass covering the deli.

Louis looks away, biting down hard on his lip. Louis doesn’t want to lie to Harry, but for everything to work, he has to. He’s got a big plan, something sure to knock Harry completely off his feet. Louis just wants it all to be a surprise.

“About that.”

“What’s wrong?” Harry frowns, and his eyebrows furrow in worry.

“Liam can’t come in today, so I’m going to have to take his shift.”

Harry’s face drops like a rock in water, and for a split second, Louis thinks about ditching the whole plan. He’s been lying this whole week about spending the whole day together with him, just so the surprise can be better, but now he feels terrible. Harry tries to straighten his face out quickly but the damage is done.

“It’s our anniversary, Lou.” Harry’s voice cracks a little at the end, making Louis’ heart break a little.

“I’m so sorry. I tried to get someone else to come, but everyone already made plans.”

Harry pulls away from the bar, looking down and scuffing his boots on the tile. In all the years he’s lived in Tennessee, Louis can’t shake him from his boots. It’s the middle of July and he’s still wearing them. Louis has managed to get him barefoot most of the time though, but if he’s going anywhere important he always wears boots, no matter how hot.

“You’ll still come by later, right?”

Harry’s done trying to pretend he isn’t upset, so Louis crosses the counter and pulls Harry into him, wrapping his arms around his waist. He closes his eyes and breathes in deep, smelling the grass, sweat and lemon on Harry’s skin and clothes. He hates lying to Harry, but he also knows he’ll make up for it later.

“Of course.”

Harry lets his hands roam Louis’ back, finding the dip in his waist quickly, his large hands finally settling there. He kisses the spot behind Louis’ ear before pulling back and looking him in the eyes.

“I love you, Lou.”

“I love you, too.”

Finally, Harry smiles back at him and places a hand underneath his chin, bringing him in for a kiss. Sure, Louis’ made him a little sad right now, but he knows that within a few hours, he’ll be anything but sad. Or at least he hopes.

\--

Harry grabs his keys to his truck, a brand new purchase he made just a few weeks ago. He had always sworn he’d never own one, but when his car blew the engine and he was left without anything, he hadn’t had much of a choice. Louis had spent the entire weekend looking for a car for him, but then he took him down the highway and showed him an old beat up truck. The paint was chipping off of it, and it had a few bumper stickers that couldn’t be removed, but Harry loved it instantly. He paid the little old man selling it $800 in cash and kissed Louis against the driver side door when they got it back home.

He waves goodbye to Gemma as he walks outside, slamming the screen door behind him. Since Louis dropped the bomb that he has to work late, he figures he can go buy them something nice to enjoy when he finally gets off. Going over the grocery list in his head one more time, he finally looks up and his eyes widen.

There are dozens and dozens of flowers scattered all across the bed of his truck, all different colors and types and absolutely beautiful. Standing by the passenger side is Louis, dressed in some of his best clothes (which is just his jeans that don’t have holes in the knees and a shirt that isn’t stained with grease) and bare feet, a picnic basket settled in his hand. He’s smiling at him like he’s the greatest thing he’s ever seen and Harry just stands on his porch, keys in his hand and his right foot on the bottom step of the stoop.

“I thought you had to work?” 

“I lied.” Louis laughs a little, his weight shifting from one foot to the other as he watches Harry. “I wanted to surprise you.”

Harry jumps from the steps and walks down the driveway, a smile breaking over his face the closer he moves to Louis. When he’s close enough to grab him, he does just that. His hands settle on Louis’ neck, tilting his head back so he can look directly into his ocean blue eyes.

“I thought we could have a picnic by your favorite lake, where I made you go fishin’ and you threw that fish at my head.” Harry laughs and leans in, pressing a kiss to Louis’ lips.

It was around this time a few years ago when Louis took him fishing in the dark and they fell into the muddy lake, lips finding each other’s in the moonlight. He doesn’t think he could ever forget that night.

“What else were you thinking?” Harry mumbles against Louis’ lips.

“I have wine.” Harry presses another kiss to Louis’ mouth, just something chaste and short. “And weed.” Another kiss paired with a giggle. “And our favorite playlist on my phone.”

“Well let’s go then.”

They climb in the truck and take the short drive to the lake, hands held across the center console as they go. The truck doesn’t have any air, but it’s not too humid outside and they ride with the windows down. Harry watches Louis from the corner of his eye, kissing him at the red lights like they always do.

They pull up to the dock and park, grabbing the basket full of food Louis spent all morning at the store making. There are sandwiches and fruit and two slushies that White Star is famous for. They’re a little watered down but Harry still sucks it down, Louis laughing at him when he gets a brain freeze from drinking way too fast.

Louis pulls the wine from the basket and two solo cups, filling them to the brim, and then pulls out the tiny bag of weed he’s hidden at the bottom. It’s something they’ve been doing recently, just a little something to take their minds of things. With Harry about to graduate from college and Louis working over forty hours a week at the store, they’re stressed out more than they aren’t.

Louis lights the blunt, pushes the lighter back into his jeans, and then takes a long drag. He holds it for a second, his eyelids already starting to look heavy when he finally blows it out. Both of their cups are already almost empty and the wine is settling in their bloodstreams quickly.

Louis passes Harry the blunt, and Harry takes it from him, inhaling for a beat. He grabs Louis’ chin, forcing his mouth open as he blows in, letting Louis inhale the smoke from his mouth. Louis’ pupils are wide, the blue of his irises barely visible. Harry chuckles into an open mouthed kiss, his tongue sliding alongside Louis’, smoke filtering out of their mouths and swirling in the air.

They sit like that for a while, until over half the bottle of wine is gone and they’re both buzzed enough to be giggling more than they’re talking. They let their feet hang from the dock, their toes touching the murky water as the sun starts to go down. It’s nothing really special all things considered, but Harry is happy with Louis’ hand settled in his, thoughts of the summers before this where they had each other.

\--

When the sun has been down for quite a while and the air is sticky, they make their way back to the truck. The tiny box in Louis’ jeans has burned a hole in his pocket all night and when he watches Harry open the door of his truck, he moves forward and stops him. Harry just raises a brow at him as Louis slams the door back closed.

Louis takes a shaky breath and he’s so nervous, he’s sure Harry can feel it in the air. He’s wanted to do this for so long, has been waiting all night for the perfect moment. Harry is standing with his back against his shitty old truck, a plaid shirt tucked lazily in his jeans and unbuttoned almost all the way against his bare chest. There’s a cross necklace dangling there, a chain that Louis has gripped in his hands more times than he can count. He looks so beautiful and Louis thinks there’s no better time than right now.

He digs his hand into his pocket and pulls the box out. He kneels down and when he looks up, Harry’s eyes are wide and he’s pretty sure there are already tears there. He gasps and falls to his knees.

“Haz!” Louis chuckles, his voice watery already. “You’re ruining it.”

Harry just laughs around the tears that are collecting in his eyes, the same eyes that are glued to the ring sitting in Louis’ hand. He clears his throat and just nods at Louis, so he takes that as a cue to continue. He’s been practicing what to say for months now, but he forgets every bit of it when he looks into the forest green of Harry’s eyes.

“Harry. Haz.” Louis wishes he get his voice to steady but with Harry looking at him like he hung the moon, it’s so hard. “I love you so much. These past four years have been the best of my entire life. I’ve loved you for so long, and I’ve wanted to marry you for just as long.”

Louis can feel mud seeping through his jeans but none of that matters when Harry finally looks up into his eyes. They’re glassy and a little red from the weed they smoked earlier, and his hair is so long now that he’s put it in a bun, and he’s never looked more beautiful.

“I’ve wanted to marry you since you took me to see the Vols play in the Sugar Bowl. I’ve wanted to marry you since I broke my leg falling from the tree in my backyard after you told me not to, and you didn’t say ‘I told you so.’ I’ve wanted to marry you since we made love in the back of my truck. I just – God, Harry, I just love you so much, and I want to spend every second of the rest of my life with you. I want to grow old with you, and I want to have a family, and I want to teach you how to make tea since you never make it sweet enough. Please, let me have that with you. Please marry me.”

By the time he’s finished, Harry is covering his mouth with his hand, tears flowing freely down his cheeks. He reaches out with his free hand, his fingers tracing the ring settled between the cushions of the box. Louis holds his breath as he watches him, anxious for him to finally answer. He just stares down at the ring for a minute before finally looking up. He pushes forward, his mouth finding Louis’ instantly, and presses messy kisses to his lips.

“Yes, yes, yes, yes,” he says, over and over, pressing kisses to every inch of Louis’ face. His hands frame the older boy’s face, and Louis giggles as his lips touch his face over and over again. 

Harry pulls away so he can pull the ring from the box. He looks up Louis and flushes, his cheeks turning the most beautiful shade of red.

“Can you put it on for me?”

Louis just smiles, reaching out so he can take the ring, and then he slides it on his fourth finger easily. The platinum band gleams in the moonlight and it looks gorgeous on Harry’s tanned, calloused hands. Louis brings his hand to his lips, pressing kisses to the ring settled against his skin. 

“I love you so much,” Harry says as he watches Louis, his lip quivering as he tries not to cry.

“I love you too, darling.” 

\--

The screen door to Louis’ house slams shut, and when they’re finally inside, Harry pushes Louis against the door, planting fervent kisses to his mouth. He swallows Louis’ moan when he pushes his palm against the bulge in his fiancé’s jeans, smiling when the word pops up in his mind. Louis grinds up into his palm, his tiny hands finding purchase in Harry’s hair. He pulled it from the bun in the truck, when he’d gotten anxious and crawled over the center console so he could kiss Harry properly.

Louis groans loud when Harry lets his hand slip inside his jeans, his hand gripping around his cock easily.

“Shh baby, we don’t want anyone to hear us,” he says as he twists his hand up, the friction making Louis whine softly into his mouth.

They fumble around against the door a bit, Harry stroking Louis slowly as he pins him to the screen door, before he realizes they should find his room. He moves his hands to Louis’ thighs, picking him up easily and carrying him through the house. It’s muscle memory at this point, the dark not fazing him at all as he carries him down the hall. They’ve stumbled in drunk, hands roaming each other’s bodies, more times than Harry can count. 

He lays Louis on the bed before moving down his body, pulling his jeans down as he goes. Louis sheds his t-shirt and pulls on Harry’s, yanking it over his head roughly. Harry wants to go slow, wants to take his time with Louis and make this count. He grabs Louis’ cock, enjoying the tiny moan he hears escape his lips, and strokes it a few times. He looks up between his lashes, and Louis is watching him, body propped up by his elbows.

He doesn’t waste any time before sinking down, enveloping Louis’ cock in the tight heat of his mouth. He lets his tongue rest on the underside of his length and hums, relishing in the quiet little sounds Louis is making above him. When Louis starts to thrust lightly into his mouth, Harry lets him, relaxing his throat and enjoying the feeling.

When Louis starts getting a little too loud, Harry pulls off so he can kiss him soundly, his tongue slipping into mouth to slide against the other boy’s messily. He reaches around to Louis’ nightstand, fumbling blind until he finds the tiny bottle of lube he keeps there. He pulls back, opening the bottle and drizzling some on his fingers. When his ring finger prods at Louis’ rim, he groans loud before Harry smacks a hand to his mouth.

“Got to be quiet, darling,” Harry murmurs, sinking his finger deeper into him, the cool platinum of his ring finally hitting Louis’ rim. 

He starts to pump his finger in and out, and it doesn’t take long before Louis is begging for another. When Harry starts to scissor his fingers to open him up, Louis positively mewls, his back starting to arch off the mattress. Harry keeps his fingers settled but moves up so he can kiss him, his hand still working his fiancé open. When he’s covered Louis’ mouth with his own, Harry swallows a particularly loud moan.

“Harry, please,” Louis begs, his fingernails digging into Harry’s skin.

Harry removes his fingers and finally gives his cock the attention it needs. It’s almost painful now, the tip starting to turn purple from lack of touch. When he lubes himself up, his eyes flutter close at the feeling. He strokes himself a few times, just so he doesn’t come the second he enters Louis, and then lines himself up with his hole.

He pushes in slowly, and then finds Louis’ hands, interlacing their fingers as he does. He looks into Louis’ eyes, the ocean shade of them almost gone from how wide his pupils are. His teeth are bearing down on his bottom lip, steady, heavy breaths escaping his nose. He has a bit of flour in his hair from working the deli earlier, and he has bags under his eyes, and his calloused hands are rough against Harry’s back, but he’s never been more beautiful.

Harry’s hips finally settle against Louis’, and the heat of him is almost overwhelming. He kisses Louis again, their lips brushing easily against each other. Louis whimpers into his mouth, a light please floating past his lips, so he pulls back a bit and then thrusts forward. The sound Louis makes is heavenly, a quiet little sob that has Harry cupping his neck, the hair on Louis’ nape sliding between his fingers.

“I love you,” Harry mumbles, his hips starting to move faster now.

“I – I love you s-so much.”

Louis is already growing breathless, his hands roaming his own chest as he gets close. Harry wants this to last but watching his fiancé lose himself is making it hard to hold off. He’s tight and hot, and Harry is absolutely pounding into him now, the headboard hitting the wall lightly behind them.

“I’m close.”

Harry reaches down and grips Louis’ cock, stripping it quick and rough. Finally, Louis arches and comes, white ropes striping his chest. He bites into Harry’s shoulder to keep from yelling and it sets Harry over the edge too. He comes hard, white stars flashing behind his eyelids as he keeps pumping his hips to ride out his orgasm.

When he pulls out, he flips Louis over and pulls his ass up, his tongue licking a fat stripe against his rim quickly. Louis pushes his face into the pillow and lets out a wrecked moan that gets suffocated by the fabric. He never lasts long when Harry rims him and he’s always loud, usually having to bite into his hand to keep from screaming. Harry licks and sucks the come from around Louis’ hole, digging the tip of his tongue in occasionally to hear Louis lose it.

It doesn’t take but another few minutes before Louis is coming again, just a bit of come bubbling around his cock as he shakes. He barely makes a single noise, just shivers and whimpers, his lip quivering as he breathes. Harry moves away from him then, pushes himself up the bed and kisses Louis, letting him taste himself on his tongue.

“I love you, Lou,” he says, grinning into the kiss.

“Please,” Louis finds Harry’s left hand and twists the ring on his fourth finger, “call me ‘fiancé’.”

\--

They plan the wedding fairly quickly. Louis hires a few more people for the store so he can take some time off, and they save every penny they can. Harry picks the colors and the flowers, and Louis decides on the suits they’re going to wear and the guest list. They make sure it’s in the fall, but not on a Saturday where the Vols play, and find a nice little church in the woods of the mountains. It’s old and hasn’t been used in years, so they spend a few weekends fixing it up really nice. They break their backs for days, decorating everything and setting up.

The ceremony is short and sweet, and they giggle too much to really kiss properly at the end. They both cry for most of the day, and they dance to an old Kenny Chesney song for their first dance. Louis refuses to wear shoes even after Harry chases him down and practically begs, but no one really notices. Their families are so used to it that it almost seems natural. They shove cake in each other’s faces and Harry almost passes out from laughing when some gets stuck up Louis’ nose. No one gets bored, and they laugh and kiss all night, the ceremony lasting four hours longer than planned because no one wants to leave.

They both decide on a very simple honeymoon and head into the Smoky Mountains. There’s a cute cabin that overlooks some of the best views, and they sit on the porch for seven days straight, drinking tea and sharing biscuits as they watch the sunrise each morning. They sit in a rocking chair on the last night, Louis’ face settled into Harry’s neck, his hand playing with the ring he bought him.

Louis thinks about how lucky he is. When Harry jumped naked in the ice-cold creek and shrieked loud enough for the entire mountains to hear, or when they both started a fire trying to fry chicken on the stove, he knows he wouldn’t have it any other way. They kiss more than they breathe and laugh more than they talk. He looks up from Harry’s neck and loops his arm around the other boy’s body, pulling him impossibly closer. When they kiss for the thousandth time this afternoon, it’s slow and easy, their breaths mingling together like a song and everything’s perfect, whole, and right.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading! if you want, you can follow me on tumblr!
> 
> godgavemelou.tumblr.com


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